Walnut Scouting Fleur-de-lis Pins
Scouting logo fleur-de-lis pins made with the scraps from the challenge coin project.
Continue readingCailyn’s Challenge Coins
I made these walnut “challenge coins” for my niece to hand out at her Eagle Scout Court of Honor.
Continue readingCeltic Key Square Wood Inlay Pins
Celtic key pattern pins made from maple hardwood inlaid with walnut.
Continue readingCeltic Knots in 3D
I came up with a fairly simple workflow for creating 3D models of Celtic knots, used those to create depth maps and, used the depth maps to do 3D carvings on a laser (Glowforge) and a desktop CNC machine (Nomad 883).
Continue readingSlotted Dice Reliquary
Dice reliquaries from laser-cut hardwood ply.
Continue readingFloss Separator
This is a quick, simple tool to assist when separating skeins of kumihimo (or embroidery) floss into working clusters with the desired number of strands. The upright is a sandwich of a piece of EVA foam between two pieces of 1/4″ stock (MDF here but, something like Baltic birch ply or acrylic should work, too). The EVA is sliced with a razor blade in the middle of each channel. Then, just glue it all together with wood glue. Some clamping is likely required while it dries.
It is probably best to clamp it down to a table when using. Knot the end of the skein/bundle of strands and, slip it into the cut in the EVA. That should keep the end in place while you separate the full length.
Floss Separator Design Files
These files are for personal, non-commercial use only. Note that, by referencing these, you are agreeing to release any variations you create under identical terms.
Personalized Arrow of Light Shelf Plaque
Personalized custom Arrow of Light plaque + shelf from layered laser-cut Baltic birch plywood.
Continue readingColor-Cycling Glowforge Logo Hex Panel
Color-cycling Glowforge logo hexagonal panel for the 2021 Glowforge forum Regulars community project.
Continue readingMake a Stitching Pony
My first attempt at saddle stitching on a project made the value of a stitching pony immediately clear to me for that. They also seem to be pretty useful for softly clamping other small things on which one is working. Commercially-made stitching ponies are not particularly expensive or hard to find. I was thinking about the springiness of plywood and, how easy it might be to make something with a simple cam clamp. I gave it a try and, this worked out even better than I expected. I was actually a bit sloppy building this because I assumed it was going to be a prototype I threw away. It works great and, seems to be everything I need for now, though.
Design Files
These files are for personal, non-commercial use only. If you want to produce these to sell or for other business use, please contact me to arrange for licensing terms. Also note that, by referencing these, you are agreeing to release any variations you create under identical terms.
Resources
You could cut this with a scroll saw, jig saw or hack saw pretty easily. Of course, if you don’t have one and, really want your own laser, feel free to use my Glowforge referral code to purchase your own. Glowforge will give you a discount off their posted price and, I will get a credit kickback to help defray the cost of materials for future projects. Your support is always appreciated.
You are almost certainly better off buying your Baltic birch plywood from a local supplier. You can get little boxes of it online but, it is generally twice the price.
1/4″ Baltic Birch Plywood (Amazon)
1/8″ Baltic Birch Plywood (Amazon)
1/4″ Baltic Birch Plywood (Woodworkers Source)
Here is the cam clamp I used. Anything similar should work. This uses a standard quarter-twenty bolt. So, it should be possible to replace with a longer one, if desired.
I used this leather because it was handy but, any soft vegetable-tanned medium-weight leather should work.
Medium Natural Leather (Glowforge)
Table Vise (Amazon) if you don’t already have one.
Of course, you can also just buy a stitching pony for a similar amount:
Note that I am not recommending that particular stitching pony. I haven’t tried it. I am just pointing out that you can buy one ready-made.
Amazon referral links for some parts and incidentals defray IT and hosting costs for a local arts organization (Arizona Aikido).
Small Inlaid Celtic Key Pattern Box
I did another small maple and cherry box inlaid with the same Celtic key pattern as the long box I posted recently. For this one, I designed the box body parametrically, entirely in Fusion 360. I can put in the material thickness or, even, alter the dimensions of the box and, everything will adjust automatically. The lid on this one is just friction-fit (no magnets) and, I did not flock the interior. 12-sided die (D12) for scale.
